To mark the second edition of Financial Education Month (1-31 October 2019), the Bank of Italy has organized more than sixty events throughout Italy. The objective of the campaign is to identify new and entertaining ways of raising public awareness on the issues of saving, insurance, pensions and social security. The programme of events includes meetings, seminars, workshops, educational videos, films and debates, and dedicated training modules targeting students, teachers and female entrepreneurs.
As part of the Financial Education in Schools initiative, which was launched together with the Ministry for Education, Universities and Research, two children's books have been published. Five characters - four children and a dog - use plain language to explain some basic concepts such as what is money, and how to save and invest it. The books are accompanied by teaching aids, where teachers can find more in-depth information and useful advice on how to structure their lessons.
As part of its financial education initiatives, the Bank of Italy has made seven videos that focus on cognitive bias (also known as behavioural traps), something which often prevents us from making rational decisions when investing our savings. The seven types of bias were identified with the help of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. The videos will soon be available on the new portal Economics for All, developed by the Bank of Italy, with the objective of giving all citizens access to a basic level of financial education needed for everyday decision-making.
Finally, in conjunction with Il Sole 24 Ore Digital Edition, the Bank of Italy has organized a series of interviews, presentations and dossiers to raise public awareness of its role as financial educator, what training it offers teachers, and which instruments citizens can avail of to strengthen their financial literacy.
